Do we like it or not

Geoff H · 02-02-2012, 05:43 AM

Bigger than a KX (and the KX replacement will do everything it does I would hope!) and the same price band, but loses the viewfinder.

New lenses won't fit current SLR's

No weather sealing.

I REALLY want to love this camera but I just don't see who is going to buy it. Am I just being a killjoy?

JinDesu · 02-02-2012, 05:46 AM

Are we talking about the KX film camera? Or the k-x digital camera?

It's shorter than the k-x by 2cm and thinner by 1cm. It is lighter than the k-x as well.

When paired with the 40mm XS, it is almost 2cm shorter than the k-x with a DA 40mm.

**TomB_tx** · 02-02-2012, 05:52 AM

It could be interesting with an eye-level finder. Without at least a good EFV I have no interest in it.

Jasvox · 02-02-2012, 05:56 AM

Zero interest.

(And I really wanted the Pentax mirrorless to be cool and have a well suited feature-set. Oh well, maybe the next model will?)

Jason

budzy1911 · 02-02-2012, 05:58 AM

I really hope this isn't a replacement for the K-5 and I am hoping that they come out with a pro level DSLR like the Nikon D3 series. Please tell me this is a joke. I was waiting for a real camera to replace my K100 and they give us this?

Sorry but this may be the end of the road for me with Pentax.

Geoff H · 02-02-2012, 05:59 AM

Sorry - I stand corrected - the video said it was Canon Rebel sized and I assumed the KX to be fractionally smaller. However bare dimensions are a bit misleading when something is styled like a brick - I bet if you put it into a bucket of water it'd displace much the same amount as the KX (and be fubared because it isn't sealed:-) The 40mm XS is smaller of course but why won't it fit an SLR - is it that the rear element intrudes too much? Shame because I'd like one on my K5:-) Most will use it with zooms anyway, and with a zoom it's small SLR sized.

So the questions remains - it's small SLR sized but with no viewfinder. What advantages will it therefore have over such a camera?

It seems Pentax are banking on there being a whole load of buyers who want access to Pentax lenses, but without the pesky nuisance of a viewfinder. Hmmmm....

wujek · 02-02-2012, 06:00 AM

Looks interesting. Let's see first test results and picture quality.
May think about buying one.

kadajawi · 02-02-2012, 06:04 AM

Pentax announces K-01 K-mount APS-C mirrorless camera: Digital Photography Review There you can find a comparison shot with a K5. It doesn't look much smaller...

imgorthand · 02-02-2012, 06:05 AM

Originally posted by budzy1911

I really hope this isn't a replacement for the K-5 and I am hoping that they come out with a pro level DSLR like the Nikon D3 series. Please tell me this is a joke. I was waiting for a real camera to replace my K100 and they give us this?

Sorry but this may be the end of the road for me with Pentax.

I'm so glad I switched to Nikon. I would be very angry to see how instead of something to upgrade to from K-7/K-5 Pentax launches this. This is a really bad idea.

Mass. Wine Guy · 02-02-2012, 06:06 AM

The press release is meaningless until someone not affiliated with Pentax gets the camera in hand and puts it through all the paces. My concerns are for battery life (it's going to only have a rear screen for everything), noise at fairly normal ISOs, and how up to dte/advanced the CMOS sensor is. How large is the sensor?

**JimJohnson** · 02-02-2012, 06:07 AM - **1 Like**

I DON'T like it. I might as well buy a point & shoot. With no 'up to the eye' viewfinder (be it optical or a mini LCD), the user will suffer with this camera greatly in bright sunlight scenes. Pupils close down to the ambient light and you simply cannot adequately see the image on the big LCD that you are holding away from you body. Fast moving subjects are even more difficult to capture in this environment. Does the K-01 come bundled with a 19th century style large format camera head sheet? I'll need one.

And from experience, there is simply no way to get as steady a grip on a camera held at nearly arm's length. I would be totally at the mercy of high shutter speeds, or the camera's anti-shake if I want to shoot say running water at a slower speed.
If this is what Pentax has put in place for its advanced amatuer camera, I am VERY glad I managed to purchase a K-r just before they were discontinued.

Please Pentax, don't jump on the ME TOO bandwagon. Bring back an affordable camera for the advanced amatuer that includes an up to the eye viewfinder. I don't care whether or not the viewfinder is a mirror/optical system or electronic, but please let me see what I am shooting.

More Pentax news at: Pentax K-01 Officially Announced - Pentax Camera News & Rumors - PentaxForums.com

Geoff H · 02-02-2012, 06:08 AM

Originally posted by kadajawi

Pentax announces K-01 K-mount APS-C mirrorless camera: Digital Photography Review There you can find a comparison shot with a K5. It doesn't look much smaller...

Whatever the actual mm here and mm there I can see no-one taking the 01 rather than the KX (or even K5) because of its size.

Kona · 02-02-2012, 06:08 AM

The main thing that concerns me with a lack of viewfinder is that you need the screen on to see anything. Experience with my K-r has shown live view chews battery very, very quickly; so much so I never use it. I've found myself walking around or setting up a shoot without the camera even turned on, just using the viewfinder to frame and find distance, settle on a lens etc. Doing that all on an LCD will drain the battery horribly. I can't find myself impressed with this sort of design. Fine for P&S pocket cameras, but larger bodies like this, it just strikes me as silly and, ultimately, rather useless.

Not to say it won't have a market; obviously it will or they wouldn't have made it (one would hope they do market research, anyway) but I am somewhat unimpressed. Still, brilliant it is K-mount, that's certainly impressive for this upcoming generation of mirrorless cameras. I hope Pentax bring more people in to the fold with this body, but continue to make fully featured bodies for those of us who want more.

Docrwm · 02-02-2012, 06:09 AM

Not feeling it myself. Takes away many of the most useful features Tv & Av, weather resistance, any kind of viewfinder other than the LCD screen, etc. of the K-5 while upping the video. It's meant for moms who want a cute camera to take photos with and video of the kids but want something stylish and costly to impress the neighbors IMHO.

The sensor improvements talked about are on paper at this point because the guys in the video only had a non-working pre-production model and could not take photos or video so we'll have to wait to see how it really performs. But we know that they lowered the max ISO and took away bracketing and TV & Av but put a "better" processor in it??? Weird, just plain weird IMHO.

johnmflores · 02-02-2012, 06:18 AM

Contrary to my normal habit of buying after a price drop, I am pre-ordering this as soon as the links go live. This will be a great companion/backup to my K-5 on motorcycle trips - put the DA21 on the K-01 and the DA70 on the K-5 and Bob's my uncle! Hope the video is good too, as I'm shooting more of that than ever.

Originally posted by imgorthand

I'm so glad I switched to Nikon. I would be very angry to see how instead of something to upgrade to from K-7/K-5 Pentax launches this. This is a really bad idea.

I guess you got the One then? This isn't the K-5 replacement...wait for it...

02-02-2012, 05:43 AM	#1
Geoff H Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 52	Do we like it or not Bigger than a KX (and the KX replacement will do everything it does I would hope!) and the same price band, but loses the viewfinder. New lenses won't fit current SLR's No weather sealing. I REALLY want to love this camera but I just don't see who is going to buy it. Am I just being a killjoy?

02-02-2012, 05:46 AM	#2
JinDesu Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: New York City Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,638	Are we talking about the KX film camera? Or the k-x digital camera? It's shorter than the k-x by 2cm and thinner by 1cm. It is lighter than the k-x as well. When paired with the 40mm XS, it is almost 2cm shorter than the k-x with a DA 40mm.

02-02-2012, 05:52 AM	#3
TomB_tx Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,446	It could be interesting with an eye-level finder. Without at least a good EFV I have no interest in it.

02-02-2012, 05:56 AM	#4
Jasvox Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 3,107	Zero interest. (And I really wanted the Pentax mirrorless to be cool and have a well suited feature-set. Oh well, maybe the next model will?) Jason

02-02-2012, 05:58 AM	#5
budzy1911 New Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Southern Ohio Posts: 8	I really hope this isn't a replacement for the K-5 and I am hoping that they come out with a pro level DSLR like the Nikon D3 series. Please tell me this is a joke. I was waiting for a real camera to replace my K100 and they give us this? Sorry but this may be the end of the road for me with Pentax.

02-02-2012, 05:59 AM	#6
Geoff H Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 52 Original Poster	Sorry - I stand corrected - the video said it was Canon Rebel sized and I assumed the KX to be fractionally smaller. However bare dimensions are a bit misleading when something is styled like a brick - I bet if you put it into a bucket of water it'd displace much the same amount as the KX (and be fubared because it isn't sealed:-) The 40mm XS is smaller of course but why won't it fit an SLR - is it that the rear element intrudes too much? Shame because I'd like one on my K5:-) Most will use it with zooms anyway, and with a zoom it's small SLR sized. So the questions remains - it's small SLR sized but with no viewfinder. What advantages will it therefore have over such a camera? It seems Pentax are banking on there being a whole load of buyers who want access to Pentax lenses, but without the pesky nuisance of a viewfinder. Hmmmm....

02-02-2012, 06:00 AM	#7
wujek New Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Warsaw Photos: Gallery Posts: 15	Looks interesting. Let's see first test results and picture quality. May think about buying one.

02-02-2012, 06:04 AM	#8
kadajawi Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 2,799	Pentax announces K-01 K-mount APS-C mirrorless camera: Digital Photography Review There you can find a comparison shot with a K5. It doesn't look much smaller...

02-02-2012, 06:05 AM	#9
imgorthand New Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Poland Posts: 3	Originally posted by budzy1911 I really hope this isn't a replacement for the K-5 and I am hoping that they come out with a pro level DSLR like the Nikon D3 series. Please tell me this is a joke. I was waiting for a real camera to replace my K100 and they give us this? Sorry but this may be the end of the road for me with Pentax. I'm so glad I switched to Nikon. I would be very angry to see how instead of something to upgrade to from K-7/K-5 Pentax launches this. This is a really bad idea.

02-02-2012, 06:06 AM	#10
Mass. Wine Guy Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 28	The press release is meaningless until someone not affiliated with Pentax gets the camera in hand and puts it through all the paces. My concerns are for battery life (it's going to only have a rear screen for everything), noise at fairly normal ISOs, and how up to dte/advanced the CMOS sensor is. How large is the sensor?

02-02-2012, 06:07 AM - 1 Like	#11
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,774	I DON'T like it. I might as well buy a point & shoot. With no 'up to the eye' viewfinder (be it optical or a mini LCD), the user will suffer with this camera greatly in bright sunlight scenes. Pupils close down to the ambient light and you simply cannot adequately see the image on the big LCD that you are holding away from you body. Fast moving subjects are even more difficult to capture in this environment. Does the K-01 come bundled with a 19th century style large format camera head sheet? I'll need one. And from experience, there is simply no way to get as steady a grip on a camera held at nearly arm's length. I would be totally at the mercy of high shutter speeds, or the camera's anti-shake if I want to shoot say running water at a slower speed. If this is what Pentax has put in place for its advanced amatuer camera, I am VERY glad I managed to purchase a K-r just before they were discontinued. Please Pentax, don't jump on the ME TOO bandwagon. Bring back an affordable camera for the advanced amatuer that includes an up to the eye viewfinder. I don't care whether or not the viewfinder is a mirror/optical system or electronic, but please let me see what I am shooting. More Pentax news at: Pentax K-01 Officially Announced - Pentax Camera News & Rumors - PentaxForums.com

02-02-2012, 06:08 AM	#12
Geoff H Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 52 Original Poster	Originally posted by kadajawi Pentax announces K-01 K-mount APS-C mirrorless camera: Digital Photography Review There you can find a comparison shot with a K5. It doesn't look much smaller... Whatever the actual mm here and mm there I can see no-one taking the 01 rather than the KX (or even K5) because of its size.

02-02-2012, 06:08 AM	#13
Kona Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Victoria Photos: Albums Posts: 201	The main thing that concerns me with a lack of viewfinder is that you need the screen on to see anything. Experience with my K-r has shown live view chews battery very, very quickly; so much so I never use it. I've found myself walking around or setting up a shoot without the camera even turned on, just using the viewfinder to frame and find distance, settle on a lens etc. Doing that all on an LCD will drain the battery horribly. I can't find myself impressed with this sort of design. Fine for P&S pocket cameras, but larger bodies like this, it just strikes me as silly and, ultimately, rather useless. Not to say it won't have a market; obviously it will or they wouldn't have made it (one would hope they do market research, anyway) but I am somewhat unimpressed. Still, brilliant it is K-mount, that's certainly impressive for this upcoming generation of mirrorless cameras. I hope Pentax bring more people in to the fold with this body, but continue to make fully featured bodies for those of us who want more.

02-02-2012, 06:09 AM	#14
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Not feeling it myself. Takes away many of the most useful features Tv & Av, weather resistance, any kind of viewfinder other than the LCD screen, etc. of the K-5 while upping the video. It's meant for moms who want a cute camera to take photos with and video of the kids but want something stylish and costly to impress the neighbors IMHO. The sensor improvements talked about are on paper at this point because the guys in the video only had a non-working pre-production model and could not take photos or video so we'll have to wait to see how it really performs. But we know that they lowered the max ISO and took away bracketing and TV & Av but put a "better" processor in it??? Weird, just plain weird IMHO.

02-02-2012, 06:18 AM	#15
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	Contrary to my normal habit of buying after a price drop, I am pre-ordering this as soon as the links go live. This will be a great companion/backup to my K-5 on motorcycle trips - put the DA21 on the K-01 and the DA70 on the K-5 and Bob's my uncle! Hope the video is good too, as I'm shooting more of that than ever. Originally posted by imgorthand I'm so glad I switched to Nikon. I would be very angry to see how instead of something to upgrade to from K-7/K-5 Pentax launches this. This is a really bad idea. I guess you got the One then? This isn't the K-5 replacement...wait for it...